Cyprus: India’s R Vaishali delivered a crucial victory to move within striking distance of the top spot, while R Praggnanandhaa settled for a solid draw against Fabiano Caruana as the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament reached its halfway mark with gripping battles across both sections.
Vaishali times her charge perfectly
Vaishali, playing with the white pieces, defeated Tan Zhongyi in a tense encounter to reduce the gap with leader Anna Muzychuk to just half a point. The game swung dramatically after Tan, who had earlier dominated the position, committed a costly blunder in the closing stages.
Vaishali capitalised instantly, converting the advantage with composure despite both players running low on time.
At the top of the women’s standings, Muzychuk was held to a draw by Bibisara Assaubayeva, allowing Vaishali to close in. Zhu Jiner also drew with Aleksandra Goryachkina and sits just behind Vaishali, keeping the race wide open.
India’s Divya Deshmukh fought out a marathon 135-move draw against Kateryna Lagno. Despite holding a winning position for a long stretch, missed opportunities prevented her from joining Vaishali on four points.
Praggnanandhaa neutralises Caruana
In the Open section, Praggnanandhaa produced a calm and calculated performance to hold pre-tournament favourite Fabiano Caruana. After initiating rook exchanges around move 30, the players repeated moves and agreed to a draw, keeping Praggnanandhaa firmly in contention.
Tournament leader Javokhir Sindarov maintained his advantage after drawing with Anish Giri. Though the Uzbek grandmaster faced some tense moments, the result preserved his 1.5-point lead at the top.
Sindarov has been dominant so far, winning five games — three of them with the black pieces — a remarkable tally at this stage.
Elsewhere, Wei Yi secured the only decisive result of the round with a win over Andrey Esipenko, while Hikaru Nakamura and Matthias Blübaum shared the spoils.
Standings tighten ahead of second half
With the tournament heading into a rest day, the women’s section remains closely contested, while Sindarov holds a commanding position in the Open category. Vaishali’s momentum and Praggnanandhaa’s resilience ensure strong Indian interest as the battle resumes in the crucial second half.
Source: ESPN
Photo credit: FIDE/X
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